Foot for furniture legs



April 13 1926. 1,580,781

J. A. FITCH FOOT FOR FURNITURE LEGS Filed August 16 1924 Jason vinfcia,

W n/Essa,-

i l L ii Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASON A. FITCH, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALFIREPROOFING COMPANY, OF YOUNGSTOW'N, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOOT FOR FURNITURE LEGS.

Application filed August 16, 1924. Serial No. 732,468.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAsoN A. FITCH, a citizen of the United States,residingat Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feet for Furniture Legs,of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel foot for metal table legs or the like,and has particular reference to a construction which may be readilyapplied to the hollow open end of a tubular leg member to provide abearing foot which is ornamental as well as smooth to prevent themarring or scratching of the floor.

A primary object of the invention isto provide a simple and practicalconstruction which may be readily locked within the end of the hollowleg construction and yet when the necessity requires may be as readilyreleased. In that connection the invention aims to provide novel lockingmeans which may be readily manipulated from the end of the foot toeither lock or unlock the device as desired.

'ith the above and other objects in view which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure1 of the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view of the lower endof a table leg having the present invention fitted thereto, the dottedlines indicating the position of the locking element before theactuating bolt is tightened.

Figure 9. is a vertical sectional view of a construction similar to Fig.1 using a double clamping plate.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the core member.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of locking nut.

Figure 5 is a horizonal cross sectional view taken on the line 55 ofFigure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively plan and edge views of a modified formof double arched nut for gripping all four sides of the leg.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 itis proposed to provide a foot construction including a caster cup 1having the depressed bottom wall 2 which assists in forming a countersunk portion 3 for accommodating the head of a clamping bolt 4. Thesaid caster cup 1 is preferably rectangular in shape and is of more orless ornamental finish and appearance to provide a neat exterior end forthe table foot. This cup is also preferably of dimensions correspondingto the cross-sectional shape of the table leg.

Within the cup 1 there is preferably fitted with a tight friction fit, acore member 5. This eore consists of the top Wall 6 and the dependinglong sides 7-7 and the depending short sides 8 which are all turned inthe same direction and serve to stiffen and reinforce the top wall 6.The long ends 7 are of sufficient length to fit into the caster cup 2and to engage with the bottom wall thereof, whileat the same timeleaving a core portion of smaller dimensions extending above the upperedge of the cup and adapted to telescopically it into the open end ofthe tubular table leg T.

Tie top wall 6 is provided with an opening 9 for receiving the clampingbolt 4, and the latter is adapted to fit into the threaded nut portion10 of a resilient looking or clamping plate 11 whose opposite ends 12have a sliding engagement with the edges of the top wall 6 of the coremember so that when the clamping bolt 4 is rotated by a screw driver, orits equivalent, in the proper direction, the said plate 11 will beelongated by flattening out so that the ends 12 thereof will bite intothe inside face of the tubular metal table leg as shown in Figure 1. Asshown in Fig. 2 two plates 11, one above the other may be used.

Therefore, it will be seen that the core member 5 not only serves toprovide a memher for telescopically fitting in the open end of the topleg T but also serves as an abutment for causing the expansion of theresilient plate 11. r

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 the tapped nutportion 10 of the plate 11 is integral therewith but according to theembodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 the plate 11* maybe provided with struck up portions 12 for recelving and holding anordinary nut 13 adapted to cooperate with the clamping bolt 4 in thesame manner as the bolt 4 cooperates with the tapped nut portion 10 ofthe member 11.

If it should be desirable to increase the clamping effect of the nutmember with the inside portions of the leg T, the double arched spidertype of plate shown in Fi ures 6 and 7 may be used. In this form of theinvention the bowed flexible member 11 is provided with the radialspring arms 14 having the enlarged gripping ends 15 and the centraltapped portion 16. When the ends 15 of this nut are drawn toward the topof the core member 6 it will be apparent that expansion of the spiderplate 11 Wlll take place in four directions, and thereby grip all foursides of the interior of the table le One of the advantages of thepresent invention resides in the provision of the core member 5 whichtelescopically fits snugly within the table leg thereby providlng a firmand rigid means of attachment which is not possible with other forms ofconstruction where only single points of contact with opposite sides ofthe table leg are provided. The core member 5 fitting within the castercup 1, and engaging with all sides of the hollow table leg, effectivelyprevents rotation or twisting of the caster cup, while atthe same timethe upper side of the core member constitutes a bearing for the springwasher plate which engages and grips the inside of the hollow table leg.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A foot for" furniture legs comprising in combination with the hollowleg, a caster cup having side wall portions adapted to match and alinewith the walls of the leg, means within the caster cup for telescop- 2.A foot for furniture legs comprisingin combination with the hollow leg,a caster cup having side wall portions whose upper ends abut against thelower edge of the hollow leg, means carried by the caster cup fortelescopically fitting within the hollow leg, eXpansible gripping meanscooperating with said means fitting within the hollow leg and adapted toengage the inside of said leg, and manually manipulated means forexpanding said expansible gripping means.

3. A foot for furniture legs comprising a caster cup having bottom andside wall portions, the latter extending upwardly whereby the edgesthereof abut with the bottom edge of the hollow table leg, a core memberfitted within the caster cup and telescopically entering the hollow leg,an arched locking plate having the ends thereof slidably bearing on thecore member, and a screw loosely mounted in the caster cup andoperatively engaging with the central portion of the arched platewhereby when the screw is turned the ends of the arched plate will slideon the abutment member and be guided into gripping relation with the interior side walls of the hollow leg.

4. A foot for furniture legs comprising a caster cup having side walls,a core member fitted within and engaging the inside Walls of the castercup by projecting above the upper edges of said side walls thereby totelescopically enter the end of the hollow leg until the bottom edges ofthe latter meet the upper edges of the caster cup, a resilient bowedlocking plate resting upon the core member, and means for drawing thebowed locking plate toward the core member to cause the same to expandlaterally and grip the side walls of the table leg.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JASON A. FITCH.

